Sitz Bath

Sitz baths or full body baths can be wonderfully healing and comforting right after birth. Here are two great recipes, one for a sitz bath and one for a regular bath.

A sitz bath is a shallow bath in water just high enough to cover your hipbones. They’re easier and safer than a full bath in the early days postpartum. You can enjoy one once or twice a day for three to five days after birth. They are safe as early as one hour after birth. Sitz baths are highly recommended if you have perineal soreness or tearing or had an episiotomy.

Run hot water for the sitz bath and when the temperature is comfortable and it is deep enough, add 3 drops lavender oil and 3 drops cypress oil. Mix well with the warm bath water and sit down in the water at once. Lavender encourages new skin growth, while cypress has astringent properties and constricts the blood vessels.

You may prefer to add a tea of healing herbs to a sitz bath or a full body bath. For a sitz bath, reduce this recipe by half.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Take the pan off the stove and add one handful each of the following dried herbs (use two handfuls if the herbs are fresh):